Electric igniter for explosive-engines.



E. WESTMAN.

ELEGTRIGSIGNITER POR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLIUATION FILED 00T.5,1907.

Patented May 25, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

,iQ/mf@ 7772?? Mahwah,

` jy 7715 Mtv/hays' E. WESTMAN. ELECTRIC IGNITER POR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLIOATION I'I-LED 00T.5, 1907.

Patented May 25., 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

7m www@ A v l y v 2 if llllllIlclllln hereinafter described and delined in the Minneapolis, in the einen,

EMIL WES'IMAN, Olf MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

` ELECTRIC IGNITER FOR gnu.; l

No. 922,987. i

To all whom it mary concern: f

Bey it known that I, EMIL YEVSTMN, 'a citizen ot the Ynited States, residing at county of Hennepin and State ot Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Iinproveinentsin Electric Igniters for ExplosiveEng-ines; and I do 'hereby decl are the following to he ar full, clear, and exact description of the invention, sach as will enable others skilled in the artI lowhich it, appertains to makel and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved electric igniter for `eiiplosiv'e engines, and to this end it-consistsof thenovel devices and combinations of devices claims. y

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention, like characters indi'- catc like parts .throughout the severalvviews. t'erringiyto the drawings, Figure l `is a showing the iiiiproif'ed. sparking` plug which constitutes a part ofr the invention. connected in a coninion circuit tinier, and with a battery or` R diagrammatic View.

with a suitable other ycontinuing source of lsupply of the ignitiiigv current. Fig. 2 is a rien' ehieiiy 'ni vertical section, but partly in side elevawhich is, as is usual, adapted to he screwed intoa suitable seaty in the head of the cylin` ,der of the engine to' Which'the ignit'er is applied.

A cap l@ of`A- insulating material is preferably nsedto close the 'p upper end of axially through the pliig,"and a suitable insulating sleeve 5 insulates the said bushing 4: from said plug. A bearing bracket 6 rests upon the ont-turned upper flange of.' the insala-ting`l sleeve 5- and is rigidly secured to the plug Q by a n'ut 7 on the upper end of the bushing 4 which engages the foot portionlot said bracket. j

sparking pl ugv4 horizontal section preferably has a thin` is secured tothe outer end'por-I I Specification of Letters Patent. yapiiiie'ation iiierioeiobefs, i907.

EXPLosIVE-ENGINES.

Patented May 25,1909.

serra No. 395,984,

One ot the electrodesy S is preferahl,v fixed and secured tonnd has electrical connection with the plug' 2.

vwhich is in the jlorni ot' an arm, is carried by the lower end ot' a vertical lrock shaft 10 that through the bushing ,l

extended axially its upper end with an and provided at arm ll. v y

-in electrode magnet l2 is supported by the bracket t3. and a co'iperating,armature .i3 which, as shown, is in the foi'niot. a soft iron plate. is pirotallysupported at its upper end to a portion (3a of the bracket G which. as `.sl-ion'n. fovcrlies the inannet li2. AAt its lower end. the armature 13 is provided with Ia projecting' arni 14e that is adapted toen-r gage the headed end of the arni ll ot' 'the rock shaft 10.v t connected to thelnacket extension li andthe upper portion'of the arniatin-e v13. nor- Vaway troni the magnet l2 is, as shown. li'in.y

inally holds the Isaid `ai'nmture in the position shown in Figs. :l and l. with its ai'in lela considerable distance from the head ot' the arni 1l. The inoreinent ofthe armature i3 ited hy stop nuts i6 on the outer end oi a stud 17. which. as illustrated, is secured to the core la ot' the magnet l2 'andis passed through a suitable perforation 13 in `said armature. The two electrodes 8 and il are cnormally'heldfin Contact hy a light coiled spring' ISju'hich.Y as shown, is connected to a pin '19 ont-lie bracket l6 and to projects from the huh ot the a pin 20 that arin ll.`

The ymagnet 12 and the "electrodesS and 9 are connected in a coin'inon circuit with'a timer `2l-and` With a hattery 'or constant.

.source ofl electrical energie 22' by wii'c'sjll and the metallic parts'of the sparking plnjg' ahove described.. The sii-called timer.l indicated. as an entiret-ylhy the numeral Q1 and just aboYe-noted, may he of'anysuitahle con structionQ-hut inust., ojt' course. have pai-1s l. fA inet'al `bushing-4f is passed sparking circuit with' av properlyv tiniedI :le: tio'i'i iii/respect to the n'ioveincnt' ot the pis--- ton ofthe engine to which the ignitei' is apr` Aplied.- i AWhen the electric igniter lapplied 'to/'a multi-cylinder engine, the so-called tinierfwould be Aof aforni usually designated as adistributer. Y.

vThe source of electricall energy 2Q, indi- "cateid'riri the drawings` as a battery, may take- Various forms andinight he a dynamo.' It

lneed not necessarily be one that supplies an absolutely uninterrupted current, but itis The other `electrode 9.,

-\. liohtspring 15'. shown as lll) One terminal of the coil 12b 'magnet and permittin electrical current approximately through the interval of time that the igniting circuit is closed by the,so called timer. The important -reason for this willappear a little later'on.

As shown in the drawings, one of the circuit-wires 23 is connected .to a contact screw 24 that is supported by but insulated from the upper end extension 6a of the bracket 6. of the magnet 12 is connected to the contact screw 2e, an the other f terminal thereof is connected to the metallic bracket 6. One of the wires 23,

as shown', is directly connected to the metal plug 2. y When the igniting circuit is closed,

the current flows through the timer 21, bat` tery 22, wiies 23, contact screw 24, magnet coil 12b, bracket 6,bushing L1,sliaft 10, spark ing electrodes S-Q and met-'al plug 2.

Normally, the igniter circuit is closed at all points except through .the timer 21. When the circuit is closed through the timer 21, the magnet 12 is energized and imparts a quick movement to the armature 13 from the right toward the left with respect to Fig. 2. In this movement of the armature, it first acquires considerable momentum and then strikes the headof the arm 11 with a sortfof:k hammer blow which effects a very l e'paration of the n'iovable electrode 9 fixed electrode 8. An arc is estable ep 1ation of these two electrodes. The i of the two electrodes, however, i he circuit throughthe coil of the magnet 12, thereby de'energizing the said the spring 1 5` to throwthe armature toits normal position and the spring/'18 to move the electrode l9 back into contact with the electrode 8. lThese movements of the armature and movable electrode take place so rapidly that the sparking circuit will bev closed and broken several'times between' the electrodes, and thus produce a multiplicity iof sparks during the interval of time that the sparking circuit is closed through the timer 21. rThis has been fully demonstrated in practice. These rapidly produced succession of sparks estabi h what is approximately .a continuous electrical flame and thus insure good ignition of the explosive charge. f I

The electrical igniter above described is extremely simple, of comparatively small cost, has no delicate parts that are likely to get out of order has and in actual practice been found completely satisfactory for the purposes had in view. Furthermore, it makes possible the use of a low tension ignition current and-l. have found that two or three ordinary dry cells are suiiicient to produce the ignhug sparks.

lwith the rock sha'ft on the plug,

a spark is produced, of course, by

that l claim is:

1. ln an electric igniter for explosive engines, a meta-l plug having' an electrode thereon, a bushing in said plug, an insulating sleeve between said plug and bushing, a rock 'sha-ft journaled in said bushin an electrode on the inner end of said sha cooperating with tlie electrode on the plug, a lateral ai'ni on the outer end of said rock shaft, an electro-magnet having a movable armature cooperating with the lateral arm of said'rock shaft, a bracket supporting said electro-magnet, said bracket having a foot resting on the upper face of the plug, and a nut on the. bushing to lock the bracket to the plug. A l i 2. 1n an ele'ctric igniter for explosive engines, a metal plug having an electrode thereon, a metallic bushing axially mounted in saidfplug, an insulating sleeveb'etween said plug and bushing, a rock shaft journaled in said bushing, an electrode on the inner end of said rock shaft cooperating a lateral shaft, an

arm on the outer end ofsaid rock electro-magnet having .a movable armature cooperating with the lateral arm 'of said rock shaft, a bracket supporting said electromagnet, said bracket having a foot resting von the upper face of the plug and surrounding the end of the bushing and a nut on the bushing to lock the bracket to the plug.

3. In an electric igniter for explosive engines, al metallic plug having a fixed and a movable electrode, a bracket fixed to said plug, an electro-magnet carried by said bracket and having an armature cooperating with said movable electrode, a casing mounted yon said plug andinclosing said magnet, and a'terminal screw on the bracket adapted to lock the casing. on the plug and connect the electro-magnet with one side of the electric circuit.

Ll. In an electric igniter for explosive engines, a metallic plug having a fixed and a movable electrode,l a bracket fixed to said plug, an electro magnet carried by said lbracket and having an armature cooperating with said movable electrode, a casing comprising a cylindrical body and a cap piece, mounted on said bracket and inclosing sai magnet, a circuit terminal screw on the bracket passing through they cap, and a nut on said screw serving to connect a circuit wire to said screw and lock the casing to the Plus'- A ln testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMIL wEs'rMAN.

llitnesses: Y

ll. l). Kincoian, F. l). MERCHANT. 

